The present invention relates to a flame simulation apparatus, and more particularly, to a flame simulation apparatus for an electrical fireplace.
One type of currently existing flame simulation apparatus for an electrical fireplace simulates a burning medium resembling coal, charcoal, or branch-shaped firewood. The actual burning medium is replaced by a plastic casing coated with branch-like wood color on its surface and a light source installed therein to simulate the effects of burning branches or coal. Furthermore, a cluster of flame-shape silk ribbons is hung above the simulated burning medium, which flutters by ambient blowing air or driven by an electric fan. The projection effect of the fluttering ribbons generates a vision or aura of a flickering flame which can be seen through a semi-transparent plastic screen and a mirror glass. Such an apparatus can simulate the visual effect of flickering flames. However, its disadvantage is that the generated flame appearance lacks brightness and transparency of actual flames, and there is no leaping and rising phenomena of real burning flames.
Another type of apparatus has a rotating-shaft-coupling optical reflector or a translucent lamp shade of various shapes, driven by a motor, installed behind the branch-shape, charcoal-like burning medium. The mechanism for the rotating-shaft-coupling optical reflector is an optical reflector mounted onto a rotating shaft and the illusion of flames is generated by reflecting the external light source.
The mechanism for a rotating shaft to drive the translucent lamp shade and transmit light is an internal light passing through an abnormally-shaped apertures of the translucent lamp shade. The translucent lamp shade has a flame-shape wall template to model the flame. The latter is projected onto a semi-transparent screen and a mirror glass which give a simulated flame rising effect.
A cylindrical curved-surface of the hollow translucent lamp shade uses the curved surface of the casing to model the pattern of the flame. The flame simulated by this so-called “rotating-blade-type reflection flame or translucent lamp shade of various shapes” shows the enhanced brightness and gives leaping flame impression. However, its disadvantage is that the effect of leaping flames is rather repetitive and lacking in natural grace as compared to real flickering flames. This is due to the repetitive and uniform modeling of the flame by the flame-shape wall template of the device. As a result, the overall visual effect of the flame simulated by such an arrangement is that it has an artistic impression but lacks a natural, randomized, lifelike effect.
Chinese Patent Application No. CN 01113160.8 discloses an apparatus for simulating flame in an electrical heater. Its characteristic is that the dynamic light source is a hollow cylindrical translucent lamp shade with an illuminating lamp, and has apertures formed on its surface. The translucent lamp shade and the illuminating lamp are paired together and connected to a motor that rotates them via a transmission mechanism. Such a flame simulation apparatus for an electrical fireplace could eliminate the flame-shape wall template to rigidly model actual flames and give a visual effect of rising and leaping flames. However, its disadvantage is that the flame leaping is not natural and graceful enough, again lacking a randomized, lifelike effect.
Chinese Patent Application Publication No. CN 2708144Y discloses an apparatus for simulating flame in an electrical fireplace, which has a moving light source, a semi-transparent imaging screen and a semi-transparent mirror glass (screen). The moving light source is positioned behind the imaging screen and the mirror glass is fixed in front of the screen. The moving light source consists of a casing with flame-shaped apertures, a light source and a motor, wherein the light source is located inside the casing, and the casing is driven by the motor to rotate. The light source emits light while the motor drives the casing to rotate. The light passes through a plurality of flame shape apertures in the rotating casing surface, which surface forms multiple curved-surface dynamic light sources that are orderly arranged at various heights and in different angles. These light sources are then projected onto the semi-transparent filter screen and an illusion of rising and leaping of burning flame can be seen through the mirror glass. The disadvantage of such apparatus also lies in that the simulated flames are not natural and graceful, and further lack a randomized, lifelike effect.